The crime rate among teenagers has increased dramatically in many countries. Discuss some possible reasons for this increase and suggest solutions.

Over the

last

decade, there has been a massive rise in the level of felonies committed by teenagers in a number of countries. It is important to establish why

this

has happened and to look at ways to solve the problem. One reason is the breakdown in the nuclear family. The high divorce rates have meant many children have been brought up in one-parent families with no father to act as a role model which is detrimental to their development.

This

is particularly important for boys, who without

this

guidance are easily led astray by bad influences

such

as drugs and crime. Another factor is the lack of things to do for the young.

For example

, in the UK, many television programs about

this

issue have shown that teenagers hang around in the evenings with little to do. When

this

happens, boredom means they will find their own entertainment, which is often crime. There are,

however

, ways to tackle these problems.

Firstly

, the government should provide more support for families. They could,

for instance

, invest more into building and staffing youth centres which would provide guidance through the youth workers and

also

enable teenagers to focus their attention on sport and other activities. Parents should

also

be encouraged to take more responsibility for their children. Ultimately, the onus is on them to ensure their children are brought up in a loving environment which would make them less likely to turn to lawlessness. They could,

for example

, find a male relative to act as a role model. To sum up, it is clear that there are various reasons for

this

rise in crime, but solutions are available. If we begin to tackle the issue now, we may be able to prevent the situation from declining

further

.